Candian Bacon

Horkheimer and Adorno’s theories would be appropriate to apply to Canadian Bacon since they focus on how beliefs and ideas are transmitted in culture. In the movie, myths about Canada are spread through the media in order to start a war against Canada. The U.S. government is at work creating myths and transmitting them through the media in their own interest, as they are the ones in positions of dominance. Horkheimer and Adorno also believed that the media dumbs people down-that they are unable to think for themselves as a result of constant exposure to messages in the media. In Canadian Bacon, America is led to believe that Canada is plotting an attack on the U.S. Boomer and Honey especially, are greatly affected by what they see on TV. It gets to them to the point where they are unable to step back and think for themselves whether what they are seeing on TV is true or not, and they just accept it and plan their own retaliation.

The cultivation effect can also be considered in relation to Horkheimer and Adorno’s theories. Individuals, in the case of Canadian Bacon, the Americans, conform to the ideologies of the government, demonstrating social organization and control exerted by the president and those working for him. The American audiences watching cultivate their own reality based on what they are seeing on TV. The propaganda created by the U.S. government allows for America to believe that Canada is secretly out to get them-this is the "reality" to Americans.

Semiotics can also be applied in analyzing Canadian Bacon. Cultural artifacts are used to reinforce myths about Canada. For example, maple syrup is shown pouring over a map of the U.S. to signify the spread of Canadian forces taking over U.S. territory. The meaning of maple syrup (the signifier) changes from being simply Canadian to mean dominance (the signified).
In applying these theories to Canadian Bacon, I am attempting to understand the inner workings of popular culture. Like theorists such as Horkheimer and Adorno, I am digging deeper to find meanings. The film uses stereotypical symbols of Canada which are used to construct a Canadian identity. Things like hockey, beer, the CN Tower, Mounties, "eh," and being nice are used humorously to reflect Canada.